The Big Idea Of 1 Kings Is The Story Of The Glory And The Division Of The Kingdom

In 1 Kings, the kingdom rises to even greater glory under king Solomon and then falls to the depths when civil war erupts and it is divided forever.

After his reign through 2 Samuel, David dies and his son Solomon comes to the throne. Solomon is a great king who, because of God’s blessing, amasses incredible wealth and wisdom and builds the temple in Jerusalem to honor God. Unfortunately he and the kings that follow him show why humans were never intended to be kings.

For all his wisdom, Solomon did not follow God’s laws and married foreign wives and worshipped foreign God’s.

As a result of Solomon’s lifestyle, Solomon had many sons and they were more interested in fighting for power than leading the kingdom. After Solomon’s death, in the battle for power, the kingdom is divided in two, 10 tribes in the northern kingdom (now called Israel) under one king, and 2 tribes in the southern kingdom (now called Judah) under another king.

Key New Testament Kids Application:

Remind your kids that true wisdom comes from God. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, but if you seek wisdom from God and use it.

1 Kings reminds us parents that our kids are our greatest legacy. No matter what you do at work or in the community, they greatest thing you can do for this world is to train up your kids to love and follow the Lord. Tell them today that you love them and love God and want them to become God’s men and women.

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